(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to vehicle launching apparatus and is directed more particularly to a vehicle launching assembly for underwater platforms, such as submarines.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The launching of torpedoes, mines, vertically fired weapons, countermeasures, and the like, all hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cvehiclesxe2x80x9d, is generally well known. Over time, a few preferred types of systems have become prominent. The existing preferred systems include turbine pump ejection systems (TPES), air turbine pump (ATP) systems, and elastomeric ejection systems (EES), with the ATP and EES gaining favor in recent submarine design and construction.
Unfortunately, the ATP launcher has proven technically complex and expensive, and requires periodic overhauls. The EES launcher requires a special recharge pump to inflate an elastomeric bladder, and a special slide valve to control launch transients. Further, the EES elastomeric bladder material fatigues over time and requires replacement.
Thus, despite advances in the art, there still remains a need for a launcher system which is low in cost of both manufacture and maintenance, high in operational reliability, and quiet in operation, criteria not met by present ATP and EES assemblies.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a vehicle launch assembly for underwater platforms, which assembly comprises known and relatively non-complex components which provide economy of manufacture and maintenance, and which exhibits high reliability and acoustic advantages over the aforementioned current launch systems.
With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision of a vehicle launch assembly for underwater platforms. The assembly includes a water tank mounted on the platform, and a plunger movably disposed in the tank and dividing the tank into first and second zones, the first zone being in communication with a water environment in which the platform is disposed, and the second zone being in communication with a launch tube inlet line mounted on the platform. An actuator is connected to the plunger and is operable to move the plunger in the tank. A triggering and reset device is provided for initiating operation of the actuator to move the plunger in the tank to effect a selected one of (1) moving the plunger to push water from the tank second zone to the launch tube inlet line to eject a vehicle from the launch tube, and (2) moving the plunger to enlarge the tank second zone to draw water thereinto from a valve in communication with the water environment and the tank second zone.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, there is provided a vehicle launch assembly for underwater platforms. The assembly comprises a water tank mounted on the platform, a plunger movably disposed in the tank, the plunger comprising a rigid disc and an annular elastomeric seal fixed to a periphery of the disc and to an internal wall of the tank. The seal is stretchable to provide a bias on the plunger in a direction toward the second zone for ejecting a vehicle from a launch tube. A triggering device comprising key means retains the disc in a stationary condition, the key means being selectively movable to release the disc for movement in response to the bias of the elastomeric seal on the disc. A reset device comprises a cylinder, a drive rod extending from the cylinder and connected to the disc, a piston fixed to the drive rod and disposed in the cylinder, and force means in the cylinder and acting on the piston to move the drive rod to move the disc in the tank.
In accordance with a still further feature of the invention, there is provided a vehicle launch assembly for underwater platforms. The assembly comprises a water tank mounted on the platform, a plunger movably disposed in the tank, the plunger comprising a rigid disc and an annular elastomeric seal fixed to a periphery of the disc and to an internal wall of the tank, the seal being stretchable to provide a bias on the plunger in a direction toward the second zone for ejecting a vehicle from a launch tube. A triggering device comprises key means for retaining the disc in a stationary condition, the key means being selectively movable to release the disk for movement in response to the bias of the elastomeric seal on the disc in a direction toward the second zone to effect launch of a vehicle from a launch tube. A reset device comprises a cylinder, a shaft extending from the cylinder and slidingly through the disc, a piston fixed to the shaft and disposed in the cylinder, a body fixed to the shaft in the second zone, and force means in the cylinder and acting on the piston to move the shaft to move the body into engagement with the disc to move the disc in the tank to a position wherein the disc is engageable by the key means.
The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular devices embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.